Globe and Mail: When we’re at our best

“Richard Ryan, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester in New York, studies human motivation and how it affects psychological well-being,” says The Wall Street Journal. “His work has shown that people who pursue extrinsic goals, such as money, image and fame, are less happy than those who focus on goals that they define for themselves, irrespective of what society may say. The happier ones have decoupled their own sense of self-worth from material possessions or recognition. And, says Ryan, it’s harder to be in a relationship with someone who is focused on money. ‘If you’re somebody who finds wealth and material goods really important, probably you’re putting less emphasis on intimacy and closeness with others,’ he says. ‘And the people around you may be less satisfied in their relationship with you.’ ”

Thought du jour

“The past almost always seems cozier than the present, because you can no longer remember the fears and uncertainties that clouded your future at the time. And whatever the case, you were 40 years younger.”